About

An excellent question and one generally avoided by very quick running. A distraction may also be involved.

For now it is generally accepted as a sizeable collection of cosplay photos taken at UK anime conventions, as well as a an occasional production house of Anime Music Videos and other random projects.

Why the name ManyLemons?

Sadly not as interesting a story as I’d like. I went through a phase of two-word non-sequitur project/studio names, particularly when coming up with fake companies in example projects at school or University – I’d also decided the prior name Daryoku (My then-handle Inertia in Japanese, which later got shortened to the Nert I’m typically known as now) studios was a terrible name – but Allangelion still has it on its title – and settled on ManyLemons as my new favourite. I have a penchant for sour things and lemons represent freshness, sharpness, and bad cars. Also, the internet tells me, short sex stories. I apologise to anyone coming to my website hoping for those.

Long story short, the bulk of videos I made was under that studio name so before I knew it, that one had stuck. I spent forever designing and tweaking the logo to be simple yet unique, and everything just fitted. So to this day, that’s what I’m usin’!

Can you take my photo/video?

Sure, but you’ll have to come find me! I go to many major events across the UK as long as I can find a way. Money is beyond tight and travel is expensive. I do a lot of coach trips and slow-trains and sleep on a lot of floors, so sadly I can’t come by and film/photo everyone for free, much as I’d like to. As far as at-events go, I’m often quite busy. The events themselves often have work for me to do and I’m obviously occupied during large cosplay related things like Masquerades or similar. I don’t take bookings as a general rule – feel free to tell me what/when and where you’ll be cosplaying but unfortunately I will have no idea where I might be at any given time, and arranging times and places has often left me missing quite a lot of time I could be taking more photos with!

So it’s a case of come-find-me. It’s hard to say I’ll stand out in a crowd of cosplayers but I don’t hide – I always have a lanyard badge with the ManyLemons logo on, and often bags or camerastraps belonging to me have lemon slices adorning them. If there’s a cosplay desk you can always try asking there, they’ll often be able to get in touch with me.

Are you a professional photographer?

Technically? Yes and no. While there’s no such thing as a professional photographer – it isn’t a legally protected profession – I am apparently at the level where some businesses have offered to pay me, take that as you will!

Practically? AHAHAHAHAHAAHA, no. I’ve had no formal training, I’m entirely self-taught and I just keep striving to improve. I’m an enthusiast, and a very particular one at that. I am and forever will be learning more and more as I go along, and if the recipients of my work feel that they’ve gotten professional quality results? That’s good enough for me. Sure I’d like to make a ton of money and be able to do this sort of thing forever, but what’s most important to me is that I enjoy it, and the people I photograph enjoy it.